In this study, the investigators are testing the effectiveness of the combination of eribulin, pertuzumab and trastuzumab to learn whether this combination of drugs works in treating advanced HER2-positive breast cancer that had received at least one prior treatment previously. At this point, the standard treatment for HER2-positive cancer that has progressed (grown) after a first treatment is chemotherapy combined with therapies that target the HER2 protein (e.g., trastuzumab or lapatinib).
All of the medications that are being tested in this study are approved by the Food and Drug administration (FDA) for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. However, the combination of these three medications in participants has not yet been tested. Eribulin is a chemotherapy agent that is approved for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer for women who have previously received at least two prior chemotherapeutic regimens for the treatment of their metastatic disease. Pertuzumab and trastuzumab are also both approved for the treatment of advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Both agents help treat breast cancer by binding HER2 receptor. However, pertuzumab and trastuzumab bind to different parts of the HER2 receptor.
The goal of this research study is to find out if adding pertuzumab, trastuzumab and eribulin is effective in treating women with metastatic, HER2-positive breast cancer. The Investigators, will also gather more information on the side effects of these treatments
The investigators also plan to gather genetic information from participants' tumors (collected at biopsies). Cancers occur when the molecules that control normal cell growth (genes and proteins) are altered. Changes in the tumor genes and in the genes of normal cells are called "alterations." Many of these alterations can be detected by directly examining cancer cells in a tumor or circulating in blood. Several alterations that occur repeatedly in certain types of cancers have already been identified. These discoveries have led to the development of new drugs that "target" those alterations. More remain to be discovered.
Some of the alterations are found in genes. Genes are composed of DNA "letters," which contain the instructions that tell the cells in our bodies how to grow and work. Genes make proteins which actually carry out the instructions in our cells.
The investigator would like to use your DNA to look for alterations in the genes in cancer cells and blood cells using a technology called "sequencing." Gene sequencing is a way of reading the DNA to identify errors in genes that may contribute to the behavior of cells. Some changes in genes occur only in cancer cells. Others occur in normal cells as well, in the genes that may have been passed from parent to child. This research study will examine both kinds of genes.
One of the scientific goals of this research study is to perform gene sequencing (gene tests) on your cancer cells (obtained from biopsies or surgery) and normal tissues (usually blood). The results of the gene tests will be used to try to develop better ways to treat and prevent cancers. As part of this work, we may also learn things about the genes in your normal cells. However, because interpretation of these tests will require further study,the investigator will not disclose these results to participants who participate on this component of the study.